


knowing me, knowing you

by MayWilder



Series: Parkner Week 2019 [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Identity Porn, M/M, Misunderstandings, Parkner Week 2019, These kids are dorks, pretty much fluff, vine references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 15:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20066200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayWilder/pseuds/MayWilder
Summary: “I’ve been thinking about Spider-Man.”“Oh?” Peter has to put every effort he can into not reacting. He glances up but continues writing out an equation he thinks will focus on the strength of his webs. “W-What about him?”“Like, the work he does,” Harley says. “It’s good, but not…like, he can catch a bus without blinking or hurting anyone and set it safely back on the ground.”“Your point?”"Its just...he could be so powerful. Why doesn't he fight bigger fights, when he could?""Well, I don't know, maybe he has things in his life that prevent him from doing that.""Okay, but like—you have the ability to change the world. Do you try, or do you let people like Tony do it and just stop bank robbers and gangbangers?""You try to do both?""Well then, what do the police do? Sit around and eat donuts? They exist for a reason.""It doesn't mean they don't need help, and Spider-Man does that.""I just think if humans can stop humans, superhumans should maybe focus their time on what local law enforcement isn't capable of."***Harley doesn't really approve of Spider-Man. How could he approve of Peter?





	knowing me, knowing you

**Author's Note:**

> for Parkner Week 2019  
Day 01: "Road Work Ahead"/Identity Porn  
***  
WARNING: I don't know shit about how guns work, so roll with it, mkay? Please?

When Harley first meets Peter Parker, he knows there’s something special to the other boy. He’s sitting across from Harley in a lab coat, tinkering with a long dead battery for reasons unknown to Harley. He’s got his tongue between his teeth and his one of his eyes squinted. He looks like a huge dork, and yet Harley knows, _knows_ that this boy is special for reasons he needs to understand.

“Are you going to save the world, Parker?”

The brunette loses focus, dropping a screwdriver onto his lap. In an effort to jump up, he knees the table, then hops around with muttered curses as he clutches his knee. Harley feels himself laughing, but bites it down to lean his chin on his hand and watches him jump.

“Sorry,” he says breezily. “Didn’t mean to startle you, sweetheart.”

Peter’s face is unbelievably red. “No, uh, it’s—_ahem,_ it’s fine.”

Harley watches on, awfully amused.

“Um, what was your question?” Peter clears his throat again.

“Are you going to save the world?” Harley repeats. When Peter blinks three times, quickly enough to show he’s confused, Harley continues. “I just have this incredible feeling about you. You’re special, you know?”

“There’s nothing really special about me,” Peter shrugs. “I mean, Tony says I’m smart, but everyone knows he’s a drama queen.”

“Tony says I’m brilliant. Do you think he’s wrong?”

“W-What?”

“Do you think Tony exaggerates when he says I’m brilliant?”

Peter twists the screwdriver around a couple times. “No, I don’t. He’s right, you are brilliant.”

Harley knows this, doesn’t doubt it—it’s the one thing that got him out of bed every morning in Rose Hill. It’s the thing that he would think to himself when facing down bullies, knowing one day he would be living a life bigger than the one that tiny town had for him. He embraced his intelligence, reveled in the promises from Tony. _You’re gonna be something, kid, and nobody will be able to tell you’re less than again, got it?_

Harley knows how intelligent he is, so he knows that Tony isn’t lying. He knows Tony isn’t lying when he introduces him to Peter Parker, says he’s one of the smartest minds this side of the world, and that they’re going to be good friends.

“So if Tony didn’t exaggerate about me, why do you think he’d exaggerate about you?’ Harley presses. “That doesn’t make much sense. You’re a man of science, right? So follow some logic.”

“Logic doesn’t always equal science. If logic equaled science, there’d be no point in pushing the boundaries of science because it would all circle back to a structured understanding.”

“You don’t believe science is a structured understanding?”

“I believe that’s putting science in a box.”

Harley knows, even as he falls into debate, that he’s falling into something much deeper.

**)-(**

Okay, so.

Peter likes Harley.

Is it romantic? He doesn’t know. For the moment, he believes he has a friend-crush on the guy.

“Friend-crush?” Betty asks, eyebrows raised impossibly high while they buff at Peter’s nails. “What the fuck is a friend-crush?”

“I desperately want him as a friend,” Peter explains. “Like…I don’t know if I’m attracted to him—

Betty scoffs.

“I don’t! I don’t know that!”

“Whatever.” Betty rolls their eyes. “So, you want to be his friend. Just be his friend.”

“I don’t make friends,” Peter whines. “I’m terrible at it.”

“Peter gets adopted by extroverts,” Ned calls from his desk. “Always has.”

Betty tilts their head in thought. “Well, what about MJ? She’s not an extrovert, is she? But she adopted all of us.”

“She’s what’s known as an ambivert with introverted leanings.”

“You guys care way too much about this stuff,” they sigh. “Anyways, how are you going to be friends with him?”

“I don’t know,” he admits. “Sometimes I wish I could just put on my mask and talk to him that way. I always find more confidence there.”

“Yeah, that is not happening!”

Ned looks up. “I mean…”

“No!” Betty exclaims. They drop the nail file and narrow their eyes at their boyfriend. “Ned, Peter’s voice is painfully recognizable. If he talks to Harley as Spider-Man, he will know Spider-Man is Peter Parker.”

“And? This dude is super close to Mr. Stark.”

“That doesn’t mean Peter can trust him.”

“Peter is right here, with painfully uneven nails, drowning in self-woe while his friends discuss him as though he is naught more than a common fool.”

Betty looks completely unimpressed. “You’re banned from watching Outlander anymore.”

“But I’m only in season two!”

“Too bad.” Betty picks his nails back up again. “Christ, hon, these need buffered_ again_.”

“There was like, this scaly thing I fought last week,” Peter informs her. “Tore through my gloves and I had to like, dig my nails in, and it just destroyed them.”

“Poor baby.”

Ned’s bedroom door opens, and MJ walks in carrying takeout and a twelve pack of Pepsi. “What’s up fuckers?”

“Why do you have my phone?” Ned wails dramatically.

Peter, Betty, and MJ answer with a resounding, “Because fuck you, that’s why!”

They all dissolve into cackles of laughter, and Peter lets his worries wash away.

Until, obviously, he’s in the lab a few hours later and everything gets _much worse._

They’re working on Avengers tech. Peter is writing up a new formula for web fluid, while Harley works on the web-shooters themselves. The blonde pauses his work to twirl a screwdriver and tilt his head. “I’ve been thinking about Spider-Man.”

“Oh?” Peter has to put every effort he can into not reacting. He glances up but continues writing out an equation he thinks will focus on the strength of his webs. “W-What about him?”

“Like, the work he does,” Harley says. “It’s good, but not…like, he can catch a bus without blinking or hurting anyone and set it safely back on the ground.”

“Your point?” Peter asks. If only Tony were back with the pliers he wanted. He always answers really well when Harley talks about secret identities. “He does that well.”

"Its just...he could be so powerful," Harley points out. "Why doesn't he fight bigger fights, when he could?"

Peter shifts, looking fully up now. "Well, I don't know, maybe he has things in his life that prevent him from doing that."

"Okay, but like—you have the ability to change the world. Do you try, or do you let people like Tony do it and just stop bank robbers and gangbangers?"

“You try to do both?”

“By why only the little guy?”

"Because nobody else will," Peter answers. "I love Mr. Stark, but he takes out the big bads. He doesn't stop rapists and kidnappers because when he's Iron Man, he's focusing on big picture."

"And what do the police do? Sit around and eat donuts? They exist for a reason."

"It doesn't mean they don't need help, and Spider-Man does that."

"I just think if humans can stop humans, superhumans should maybe focus their time on what local law enforcement isn't capable of."

Peter doesn't know what else to say. He's frustrated, wants to make Harley understand. How is he supposed to lay in bed at night, listening to a man beating his child three doors down and do nothing? How is he supposed to hear the women who cry for someone to help and not fucking help? He tried at first, he did—but he _hears_ them, _senses their danger,_ _feels their fear_ from miles away.

Peter doesn't have to say anything, however, as Tony strides into the room. His jaw is set, and he looks frustrated as well. "Harley. The reason Spider-Man looks out for the little guy is because he's a minor."

Harley's eyes widen.

"With all the superpowers in the world," Tony says. "Would you send Abby out against an alien army?"

"No," Harley admits. "I didn't realize."

"I see what you're saying, kid, I do, but the reason Spider-Man looks out for the little guy is because he_ has_ to. Maybe someday you'll meet him and get the chance to hear him explain. But the primary reason is that he quite literally has to look out for the little guy to keep his sanity, and that everyone deserves a chance for superhero help. Also, I will not let him spend his time finding the worst people out there unless he's really needed because he's got school, a life, guardians who love him. Does that make sense to you?"

Harley looks properly reprimanded, but Peter feels a sour taste in his mouth. Harley isn't going to want him when he finds out the truth. Harley doesn’t approve of Spider-Man.

So Harley doesn’t approve of Peter.

**)-(**

Harley is sitting next to Peter in silence (Peter hasn’t been up for much debate lately) when there’s chatter coming from the hallway. Peter looks up in panic. “Oh no. Mr. Stark?”

“What’s up, kid?”

“Did you give my friends clearance passes to torture me?”

Tony smiles. “I would never do something like that.”

Peter whines.

Harley definitely _does not_ find it very endearing.

Luckily, Peter has nothing to worry about. They act a little goofy, but mostly they insist that Peter not work for the internship for the night and come to Betty’s for a movie night. Just as Peter submits and starts to pack his things up, Betty slides into a seat next to him.

“Hello,” Betty says. “You’re Harley, right?”

“Yes,” Harley replies slowly, confused at the sly smile they wear. “And you’re Betty. Peter talks about all of you a lot.”

“I’m sure, if the amount of time he spends talking about you says anything,” MJ mutters.

Out of the corner of Harley’s eye, Peter covers his face and ducks his shoulders while Tony reaches a hand out to high-five MJ as he passes. “I thought you were my favorite.”

“Do you even know my name?” MJ asks.

“Yeah,” Tony nods. “You’re Peter’s Scary Friend.”

MJ looks smug. “That will suffice.”

“Anyways,” Betty uses a tone of voice that sounds firm, as if she’s attempting to redirect conversation. “How about you join us for movie night?”

“Hmm,” Harley pretends to consider it. “I guess it depends on what you’re watching.”

“Only the best movie in cinematic history,” Ned says excitedly. “A movie about family dynamics, the consequences of your actions, and the truth of claiming your destiny.”

Peter giggles at his friend. “We’re watching _The Lion King._ It’s Ned’s favorite movie.”

“As it should be, man,” Harley grins. “Yeah, I’d love to join.”

“Excuse me,” MJ sasses. “We don’t know if he passes the test.”

“MJ, he’s our age,” Peter says.

“Nope,” MJ shakes her head. She crosses her arms and steps up to Harley, looking him up and down. “Hit ‘em, Ned.”

“Okay,” Ned shrugs. “Which one?”

“Whatever you want.”

Ned looks like he thinks for a moment before smiling. “Road work ahead?”

Harley screws up his face. “I sure hope it does.”

MJ nods. “He has passed.”

That all leads Harley to walking up the steps of a brownstone, Peter at his side. “Sorry if its weird that I’m here.”

“It’s not,” Peter assures him. “I haven’t introduced you guys because I liked…I liked us spending time together. Just us.”

“We could spend time together outside of the lab, you know,” Harley shrugs. His palms sweat. “Just us, I mean. New York’s a big city, I’m sure we could find something to do.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Peter colors. He dips his head down. “Maybe.”

_That doesn’t sound very promising_, he thinks to himself. Aloud, “Or-or not.”

“Sorry,” Peter cringes. “It’s just—

“Keener!” Betty calls. “Come settle something for us!”

And the conversation ends at that.

The rest of the night goes smoothly. Harley finds that he very much enjoys being around Peter’s friends. They’re goofy, nerdy, relaxed, and unbearably kind. No matter how sassy MJ is, she’s never hurtful in her humor. Ned is almost the exact same way, a chuckling-goofy-Labrador energy to him that leaves Harley with a smile on his face at all times. Ned is funny, even when he doesn’t seem like’s trying to be. By the time dinner is over, Harley’s stomach muscles are aching from the amount of laughter in the room.

“Okay,” Ned says, hands out. “We need to start this movie. You guys have been promising for weeks. I cried throughout all of Titanic, I deserve the feel good emotions I always get from this movie.”

“You do,” Betty agrees. “Alright, my love. Go ahead and get it set up.”

“Yes!”

Everyone is smiling, settling into cushions as Ned hops up to put the DVD in. Harley’s thigh is pressed against Peter’s, and they’re under the same blanket. Betty’s apartment is pretty cold, and Peter has little shivers that bring him minutely closer to Harley every time. He wants to lean in, wrap an arm around Peter and offer his flannel, but…he isn’t sure if it would be welcome.

He’s contemplating this predicament when Peter pales.

“Sweetheart?” Harley asks.

“I, um,” he swallows, pressing at his temple. “Fuck.”

“Peter,” Ned says. “Do you—

“I gotta call Aunt May,” Peter says quickly. “I’ll, I’ll be back in a minute.”

Harley watches in confusion as Peter shoots up and leaves the room. He looks to Ned, who shrugs innocently and picks up the remote, switching inputs to show live television. Betty pulls out her phone while MJ opens up her book.

“This is normal, then?” Harley frowns. “For him to just run out?”

“We all have moments when we need to make a phone call or two,” MJ says drolly. “We can pause the movie and wait.”

The other two refuse to seem confused, and casually snuggle while Ned flips through the channels. Harley doesn’t question it any further. He simply pulls out his phone and opens Buzzfeed, scrolling through articles and quizzes while he waits. It feels like forever, even though its only fifteen minutes, until anything changes.

One of the channels Ned is flipping through says something about Spider-Man. He quickly flips back, MJ and Betty up at attention.

“—and here we have live footage of the altercation,” the news anchor says. “As we are unable to determine what we will see, viewer discretion is highly advised for possibility of violence.”

The footage is pulled up on the screen. Spider-Man is standing protectively in front of a teenage girl. She looks terrified. Spider-Man is holding a hand to his side, and there’s clearly blood dripping down it. His other hand is held up at a man with a gun, two others unconscious on the ground around them.

The anchor speaks over the footage. “Though the camera is not able to pick up the sound, we are hearing an exchange between Spider-Man and the assailant. Spider-Man appears to be injured, yet trying to talk to the man down. From what we’ve gathered, Spider-Man stopped an assault by three men on the young woman behind him, who refuses to enter police custody until she knows that Spider-Man is safe. According to the young woman, one of the currently unconscious men had a knife and used it to stab Spider-Man. We are currently unaware of how severe the wound is. The superhero, despite this, refuses to receive help until the assailant is apprehended. And, oh! More crew is on the scene, and we have audio—

“You’re already in trouble, man,” Spider-Man says, and Harley gasps as the floor sweeps out from under him as he recognizes the voice.

“Oh my god,” Harley croaks. “That’s why…_shit._”

“Harley,” Betty says softly. “Don’t freak.”

“You all knew,” Harley breathes. “It’s why you didn’t find it weird.”

Peter's still talking. “Just…put the gun down, and nobody will hurt you.”

“You should have stayed out of it, Spier-Man!” the guy sniffs. “This was none of your business!”

“It was, though,” Peter answers. “I could hear Emma, from blocks away. She was asking for help because you were hurting her. I couldn’t let you hurt her.”

Harley’s stomach turns. He’s going to be sick.

_I could hear Emma, from blocks away._

_I just think if humans can stop humans, superhumans should maybe focus their time on what local law enforcement isn't capable of._

_But the primary reason is that he quite literally has to look out for the little guy to keep his sanity._

Harley had no idea.

As the camera zooms in on the assailant, Harley’s panic is interrupted with a flood of relief. He picks his phone back up, quickly dialing Tony’s number.

“Kid?” Tony asks. “I’m kind of in the middle of something—

“You can talk to Spider-Man, right?” Harley asks. “I’ve worked on the suit, I know about his AI.”

“Yeah, I can,” Tony huffs. “I’m on my way to him now, he’s injured.”

“Exactly! So, you need to tell Peter that he needs to get the gun out of the guy’s hand.”

“Peter? You know?”

“Tony!”

“Okay! Obviously, Peter knows he needs get the gun away!”

“No, you don’t get it,” Harley stands. “Tony, I’m watching live feed and the safety is on! If the guy shot the gun, nothing would happen! If Peter can shoot his web before the guy recognizes that he messed up—

“Then any accidental triggering won’t do any harm,” Tony finishes. “Right, okay. Love you kid, sit tight.”

Harley hangs up. When he turns back to Peter’s friends, they’re all sitting on the couch with matching expressions of surprise. Ned wordlessly reaches out a hand, which Harley willingly takes. They keep the hold tight, Harley sitting back down. They turn to the TV together.

On screen, Peter stops talking to the bad guy. The bloodied hand moves to his ear for a moment, before he looks up. With a shout of, “OH!” Peter shoots his hands out. A string of web straps to the gun,, which Peter pulls out of the guy’s hand instantly. While that’s tossed towards the police, Peter webs up the guys hands, hitting his knees. The girl Peter saved runs forward to support him, calling for help.

As Iron Man swoops in to cradle Peter in his arms, relief floods over Harley...and it's almost as powerful as his guilt.

**)-(**

Peter wakes up in the middle of the night.

He groans, stretching out his muscles a little bit. Across the room, on a large mattress that looks like it was dragged in, his friends are in a pile of blankets and limbs. Tony is sleeping in the chair beside him, Rhodey sitting on the ground with his back against Tony’s knees while he dozes off. May and Pepper are in the other hospital bed in the room, tangled together.

Everybody who loves Peter is sleeping around him.

Except Harley—no, Harley paces at the foot of Peter’s bed.

“Harls,” he whispers, pushing himself into a sitting position. “What are you—

Harley is across the bed in a flash, leaning down so his lips press against Peter’s. The moment sucks the air from Peter’s lungs as he’s caught by surprise. He kisses Harley back, though, hands twisting into soft blonde curls and letting the warmth creep down to his toes. It’s better than any fantasy Peter could have built up.

When Harley pulls away, he has tears in his eyes. “I’m such an ass, I had no idea. Ned, Betty, and MJ, they explained everything. The hearing, the senses, how you started fighting because you couldn’t sleep at night listening to the crime. And then, we’re so young, I can’t believe you do this every day, what you’ve gone through…”

“It’s okay, I understand,” Peter brushes a tear away. “Really, it’s fine.”

“I just liked how you actually engaged with me when you started debating,” Harley admits. He strokes Peter’s cheekbone. “You never seemed to know how to act around me unless I was pushing your buttons. I didn’t really think those things about Spider-Man, I just wanted your attention. But then you were hurt, and…I realized you started pulling back because of what I said.”

“I didn’t think you’d want me if you knew I was Spider-Man.”

“Peter,” Harley laughs softly. “_I want you_. I’m sorry if you thought I wouldn’t, I do.”

“Oh…” Peter says lightly, hoping it masks the way his heart rate has suddenly increased and his alms have started sweating. “Cool. In that case, do you...wanna go on a date with me?”

Harley’s blinding smile is answer enough.


End file.
